


We're just Trying to Move On

by AlfieTheTiredBlob



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man - All Media Types, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, Because who wouldn't have Ptsd after being snapped out of existence, Canon-Typical Violence, Character Death Fix, Don't take any medical advice seriously here, Drama Trauma and lots of self indulgent shit, Fix-It, Fix-It of Sorts, Fix-it by fucking it up more, Fluff, Hand Wavy Medical Procedures, Irondad, Minor Original Character(s), No Smut, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Not Beta Read, Not Medically Accurate, Not Spider-Man: Far From Home Compliant, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Out of Character May Parker (Spider-Man), Overuse of the nickname Kid, Pepper Potts Also Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Lives, and by someone i mean me, at least it's not as bad as endgame?, she's not bad or dark though don't worry, someone thought it'd be smart to just let all the teen snap victims graduate, spiderson
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-28
Updated: 2019-07-28
Packaged: 2020-02-09 11:50:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18637561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlfieTheTiredBlob/pseuds/AlfieTheTiredBlob
Summary: ENDGAME SPOILERSBUT NOT ENDGAME COMPLIANT CUZ FUCK THAT SHITRated Teen and Up due to the large usage of the word "Fuck"**Formerly called When Canon Gives you Tears, make Fix-its.**---They did it.They defeated Thanos.The snap was reversed, everyone brought back with no recollection of any time passing from the past 5 years.Tony…





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A fic written by someone who is notoriously known for giving up on fics half way through, and making them more angsty than before. I promise I'm trying to fix this?? but also i'm trying to make irondad happen cuz?? uh that's my favorite thing??

They did it.

They defeated Thanos.

The snap was reversed, everyone brought back with no recollection of any time passing from the past 5 years. The past 5 years of hell. Pretending that it was okay.

Tony…  
.  
.  
.  
Survived. 

He survived. He made it.

Stuck in a hospital bed for a bit, sure, but he made it. 

Everything could finally go back to normal. 

It has to go back to normal.

\---

The plain white walls of the hospital room had quickly become boring. No matter how many balloons or flowers or even fruit baskets, (who the hell even buys fruit baskets anymore buy some chocolate like a normal goddamn person) were brought in to attempt to break up the white on white on white. The room was still bland and mind numbing to stare at for hours on end. 

He wasn’t allowed to work. Not that he did much of that anymore in the first place. He wasn’t allowed to get up and walk around, because it’d only been two weeks since the unsnap happened, and it was bad for him or something. Moving at all kind of hurt so there wasn’t really else much to do. 

It wasn’t so bad. Pepper brought in Morgan everyday. The little bundle of energy didn’t seem to fully grasp the situation, which led to a few mildly painful circumstances, but that was alright. So far a different person has come in each day. The first day it was Bruce, second Clint and his family, third Scott, fourth Cap and so on. It was nice between the dullness and you could only play so many imaginary games while sitting before it got old. 

“Mr. Stark?” He looked over to see Peter, hiding half behind the door.

“Kid c’mon you’re killing me. Stop with the Mr. Stark, I know you called me Tony and I know you can do it again.” Peter nervously laughed, looking away sheepishly. “Kid you don’t have to wait for me to invite you in.”

“R-right.” He stepped in, looking around the room before walking over to the uncomfortable chair situated on his left. He looked down at his hands, nervously fiddling with the bandages loosely wrapped around them.

“What happened to your hands?” He reached toward one, Peter tried to hide them under his sleeves before shakily settling it in the older’s grasp at the glare he was given.

“Uh. Pepper wrapped them for me after the battle. I uh. Kind of broke through the hand plates on the suit, and they got bloody from my webs.” Tony winced, looking at the half torn bandages, either sloppily done or fiddled with. “I-i’m sorry i didn’t mean to break the suit, i was just fighting and everything was loud and then the suit retracted from my hands-”

“I don’t care about the suit, I’m a billionaire I can fix it. How strong are you? The tech shouldn’t have broken that easily.” He looked at the bloody splotches. “And shouldn’t they have healed by now? FRI get Bruce down here to look at the kid-”

“T-that’s fine mr. stark really. My metabolism does weird stuff, in weird situations. E-everything is different and i’m trying to get used to it. It’ll get back on track.” Tony dropped the subject, and they were back to sitting in silence. 

“So what’s happening?” Tony started, still loosely holding onto the kid’s hand. “Kid. I’ve been sitting in this room for two weeks straight, anything you say will be more entertaining than than what I’ve been doing.” 

“... I’m putting in college applications. They uh. Mailed me my diploma yesterday.” Peter’s eyes turned glassy as he looked back down at his other hand. “Just yesterday I was going on a field trip to MoMA with a year and a half of highschool left and now I’m technically graduated and MoMA doesn’t even exist anymore.”

“... Pete.”

“I went to go patrol the other day, and there was nothing. Nothing Mr- tony. The streets were completely empty, a whole side of town was completely deserted.” He pauses, swallowing, his hands are digging into his pants. “I talked to Ned when I got back, and he said MJ graduated from college and has a job.” 

“...” 

“And May. It’s like I don’t even know her. She has this guy she met from work come over every night, and they sing and dance. But I just feel like I’m intruding. Like I’m something from her old life, that she left behind to become a better person.” He chuckles, a wet noise as tears slip down his face, his voice turned hoarse as his shoulders began to shake. “And she has to deal with this nervousness because I can’t handle being alone or it’ll happen again and no one will find me.” 

Despite limited movement Tony managed to silently persuade the kid to give him an awkward side hug. He winces as the kid clings to him, burying his face in the crook of his neck as wet sobs wreak his body. “It’ll be alright kid… We’ll figure this out.” 

The phrase fell on deaf ears as the boy continued on, eventually curling up beside Tony on the bed. The two left to be found sleeping by Pepper a few hours later.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this was supposed to be a fluff fic I swear to god. I've just made it more sad.
> 
> tw: Panic/Anxiety Attack (It's not that bad?? I tried not to describe it too much cuz i found writing it made me anxious but you can tell they're kind of freaking out.)

While visiting Tony had made him feel a bit better it definitely didn't fix the fact that he was 5 years younger than he was supposed to be. His birth certificate said he should be 21, but he was still 16, he should still be in high school.

Not being in high school wasn’t the weirdest part, but it was definitely up there. He had a diploma now, he was supposed to be looking into college applications. He got as far as googling ‘Colleges in New York’ before he closed the tab at all the unrecognizable and missing names.

May was worried. He'd catch her on the phone, asking friends in a hushed voice what to do, but they were just as clueless as her. Everyone was thrown into the deep end, and grasping blindly in the dark.

It seemed that the most common coping method was ignoring what happened, continuing as if everyone that was dusted just never left.

He just wanted it to be normal again. Back to the way things were before everything happened.

“Peter?” He jerked his head up to see Mrs.Potts (Mrs.Stark?), looking at him. Concern written all over her face, her hand was resting on his shoulder. “Are you alright?”

“Y-yeah, I was just zoned out.” He mumbled, picking at the bandages on his hands. He was in the compound, sitting in an uncomfortable plastic chair, waiting for someone to tell him what to do. Two people passed him so far, and they only gave him a pitying glance.

Pepper frowned and gently grabbed one of his hands, looking under the loose bandages and wincing at the barely scabbed cuts. “I think someone needs to look at these, honey. They should’ve healed by now, or at least scabbed over.”

He nodded numbly, he wanted to go home and sleep, but May had her ~~new~~ boyfriend over and he really didn’t want to disturb them.

“Come on. I’ll walk you there, it isn’t far.” She patted his back for him to stand and they slowly walked to medical.

It was quiet for a moment, nothing but the soft tap of Pepper's flats hitting the tiled floor. Pepper thankfully broke it before he could retreat back into his thoughts.

“So how are things going? I hope they aren't sending you back to school just yet, Tony's barely seen you. You haven't even met Morgan yet.”

“I'm not going back to school.” He muttered quietly. “I'm supposed to be looking at colleges to go to next year. May said it'll help me get some of my schedule back, and that it'll be just like high school.”

“Do you want to go to college?” Pepper asked after a moment.

“I used to.”

The moment of silence dragged on uncomfortably long.

“How's May? I haven't talked to her in a while. I bet she's happy you're back right?”

“Yeah. The first thing she did when I got back was ground me for going to space without her permission.” Peter chuckled, remembering May hug him and then scream that he was grounded for the rest of his life.

“You should go see Tony later. The doctors say he'll be asleep for a few days after the procedure.”

Peter stopped, jerking his head over to look at Pepper. “What procedure?”

“He didn't tell you?” Pepper looked at him, and Peter's whole world slid to a halt. “They're going to remove the arm.”

\--- tw>

Now Pepper has made a lot of stupid decisions in her lifetime, she'll be the first to admit that. But she's learned from them, they’ve built the person who she is today, and if given the choice to go back and change them she wouldn't.

Except for this one.

Because telling anyone that their father figure would be losing an arm is a stupid decision, let alone to a probably traumatized teenager with abandonment issues.

“Peter I need you to look at me.” The teen was on the floor, back pressed up against a wall and curled up as tight as possible. “It's okay. You're alright.”

“w-what.” Peter seemed to be surprised? Glancing around the hall with unfamiliarity, as he puffed out short breaths of air.

“You're in the Avengers compound.” Pepper tried, hesitantly setting both her hands on the boy’s shoulders. “It’s 2024, and you’re in the compound. Tony is in his room reading to Morgan.”

Peter flinched at the mention of the date, but unraveled himself just the smallest bit to grab onto Pepper and give her the tightest hug she’s ever had in her life.

Pepper said nothing as she returned the hug, and they sat on the cold tile floor, Peter was trembling in her grasp, face pressed into her blouse.

“Morgan is excited to meet you.” Pepper said after some moments of silence. “She keeps asking when she’ll get to see her older brother… We have a picture of you back at the cabin, she liked to take it out into a tent she set up the yard and talk to you until it was dinner time.”

Pepper continued talking about several things over the past few years, when she told Tony she was pregnant, or when they first moved into the cabin. Until Peter reluctantly pulled away, turning to wipe his face on his sleeve before nervously looking Pepper in the eyes.

“Let’s get going, alright?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! It's almost been a month (in five days it'll be a month but we aren't gonna talk about that.) I've finally made another chapter, and I've turned what was supposed to be a fluffy fic into a sad one. 
> 
> LEmMe jUsT Go MaKE a FiX-IT fOr My OwN FIc
> 
> Anyways, I'm getting kind of stuck, like I know what I'm gonna do and where this is gonna go. But I need some filler or this is gonna be like really rushed and sloppy. So I need some ideas? pls
> 
> Thank you for your comments and kudos (THERE'S 101 KUDOS OH MY GOD) on the first chapter though! ^-^ They really inspired me to get this chapter out a month later instead of a year haha. I'm gonna try to get another chapter out in June, but it might be quicker because I finished my finals! No promises though.


	3. Chapter 3

“HE’S WHAT?!” 

 

“Tony, calm down. It’s alright.” Pepper tried to soothe him, crammed next to him on the small hospital bed. “Dr. Reid was checking him over. He’s alright, he’s just shocked from everything, everything he knew has changed.”

 

“And he’s shocked enough that he’s not eating?!” Tony, the hypocrite, yelled.

 

Pepper sighed, running a hand though her dumb husband’s hair. “Yes Tony. It’s shocking, nothing is the same. He’s not in school anymore, in fact majority of people he went to school with are married and having kids.”

 

“He’s got Ted.”

 

“It’s Ned, honey.”

 

“Ned, Ted. Whatever.” Tony huffed.

 

“May's trying to get him into college, Peter says he doesn't want to go.” 

 

“He said that? He said exactly those words?” Tony seemed baffled at the statement.

 

“When I asked he said he used to. Tony, do you think that maybe, Peter isn’t coping with…" She made a vague hand gesture. "All of this?”

 

“He’ll be alright.” Tony mumbled, probably to himself. “He’s got to be Pep.”

 

“I know, but-” 

 

“Do you think he needs to talk to someone? Is he really…? Pep, what am I doing wrong?” Tony said after a moment, he had a hurt look in his eyes. “He’s supposed to be alright, we got him back. He's supposed to be okay."

 

“Tony, it’s not that you’re doing anything wrong. It’s just…” Pepper paused, trying to find the right words. “Despite what everyone is saying the people who were dusted can’t just pick up where they left off. Everyone gave up and moved on, and people where left behind in the process.”

 

“I never gave up Pep.” Tony whispered. “I didn't.”

 

“I know Tony. I know.” She spoke gently, holding him closer. 

 

“I just got him back. I can't lose him again.” Tony's voice was shaking, and his eyes had a distinct wetness to them. 

 

“Shh. He'll be alright. We'll get through this.” 

 

They laid there for a long time, just in a calm somewhat sad silence till eventually FRIDAY spoke.

 

“May Parker has entered the building. Along with a guest.” FRIDAY announced. “She is making her way to medical.”

 

“Tell her I'll meet her there.” Pepper stood up from the bed after pressing a kiss to Tony's cheek. “He'll be alright Tony.”

 

“... Keep me updated?”

 

“Of course.”

\---

Of all the ways he expected today to go this wasn't one of them. 

 

At most he expected to chill in the compound and then go back to May's apartment and hopefully just miss her boyfriend leaving. 

 

But no. Now he was sitting in a hospital bed with an iv hooked into his arm, getting the lecture of a lifetime of why eating was especially important with his enhanced metabolism. 

 

It wasn't like he purposely didn't eat, time just happened to slip by and his stomach was very bad at giving warnings for when he was hungry. 

 

“Mr. Parker you really have to take care of yourself, if you had went on for another week we’d be seeing you in a casket.” Dr. Reid spoke, she was apparently a new doctor in the compound. He was pretty sure he’d met her after the hussle and bussle of the battle, but maybe not.

 

“I-”

 

“And another thing, if any cuts are not healing, tell someone! They could’ve been infected, or the snap could’ve had some adverse effects on your abilities!” She huffed out a breath, before faking a smile. “ _ Luckily _ it’s just your metabolism going into  **starvation mode** .” 

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

“I know hun, but that doesn’t magically fix everything.” She sighed, pulling a pad out of her coat, and scribbling onto it, before ripping off the paper and passing it over. “I’m going to contact a nutritionist, they’ll tell you how many calories you should be intaking, maybe some meal recommendations and you are going to follow them to a T. Got it?”

 

“Yes, ma’am...” Peter mumbled, taking the slip of paper with a few numbers scrawled across it.

 

“Follow those roughly until they contact you. I’ll also be sending you off with some of Captain Rogers’ protein shakes, so hopefully you won’t have to eat 12 times your weight. In fact I’m going to make you one right now.” She crammed the pad back into her coat, and giving him a slightly guilty look. “You also have visitors.”

 

_ Well crap. _

 

“PETER!” The loud voice could only be one person.

 

“Hi May- Oof-” He was very quickly slammed into with a hug, and before he could think there were hands holding his face and making him look like he was doing an impression of a fish.

 

“... Explain." He expected her to half sputter out questions about why this happened, what she could've done and why she didn't notice this happening, but the single soft spoken word was harsh. Making him want to scramble away and find his actual Aunt because it was obvious this level-headed person was a fake.

 

" I- uh…" He struggled to find the words, wilting under the gaze that held so much of the same warmth and worry as before, but was somehow not at all the same. 

 

"May, I think you're overwhelming him." Thank god for Pepper Potts. 

 

"Pepper, it's good to see you." May turned to her, giving her a quick hug.

 

"You too May. You know you're always welcome here." Pepper pulled away noticing a man standing extremely awkwardly in the corner. “I don’t believe we’ve met.”

 

"This is Adam." May paused, glancing back at him for a quick second. "My boyfriend."

 

"Hm. Nice to meet you." Pepper cast him a glance, before plastering a grin on her face. "Why don't you two come with me and we can talk for a bit? Dr. Reid has a few more things she wants to check over and it'd be better if we don't get in her way."

 

May's face turned worried, finally turning back to him. "I'll be back later, we're going to talk about this alright?" She hugged him again, before going out the door where Pepper already was, peaking back in at Adam still standing in the room. “Adam, are you coming?”

 

“I think I’ll stay here. You know, make sure he doesn’t try to run off while no one’s looking?”

 

He just couldn’t catch a break could he?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I literally just finished this chapter like 5 minutes ago. So please excuse any errors or inconsistencies because I haven't proof read it yet. 
> 
> Oh man I loved writing this chapter even if it was a pain in the butt. 
> 
> Dr. Reid is kinda based off my mom btw? Kinda ranty, and yells to get her point across? Uh yeah. She's not like a super important character, but you'll probably see more of her in the future?? yeah. i can't think of anything else to say. 
> 
> uh if you comment I'll reply within like a day or two so ye
> 
> that's it


	4. Chapter 4

The silence in the room was tense. 

Adam sat in a chair right next to the bed, no longer looking nervous as he did before. He was a tall, average built man, with a stubbly beard and orangey brown hair that was slicked back with a bit too much hair gel. 

His mission seemed to be to make Peter uncomfortable, and after no time at all he was picking at the fresh bandages on his hands again. Searching for any distractions to avoid looking at the man. 

When Dr. Reid returned with the protein shake she wasn't too pleased with Adam's presence, giving him one look up and down before settling her face into a glare. 

She turned to him and handed him a pink colored shake, her gaze softening the slightest bit, as she gave him strict orders to finish the whole thing. 

"and for God's sake stop picking at those, I just wrapped them."

She didn't stay long unfortunately, announcing that she was going to contact the nutritionist. Leaving the room blanketed in silence again. Nothing but the sound of him quietly sipping the shake.

"So how'd a kid like you get in contact with the Avengers anyways?" Adam quipped, breaking the silence that Peter realized he'd much rather enjoyed. “No offense.”

"I applied for an internship at Stark Industries. Mr. Stark caught my application before they dismissed it because of my age, and suddenly I was his personal intern, and interacting with the Avengers." Peter replied quietly, it was a lie, quickly crafted with Mr. Stark to avoid future mishaps, it wasn’t solid, but it was vague enough so it could be twisted if the situation called for it.

"Really? Must have been a pretty good application then." Adam paused a smirk drawing up his face. "Are you sure it wasn't something more spider related?"

Peter's heart stopped, white hot fear burning in his chest as he stared at the man with a look of terror. May wouldn't have told this stranger. She was smarter than that. It wasn't called a secret identity for nothing. 

But he wasn't a stranger… According to May, the man had carved his way into her life shortly after the snap. Situating himself permanently in the place he once stood. 

He was jerked out of his thoughts by the hand on his shoulder. "Hey chill out. I won't tell anyone, it was a slip up. May didn't mean to tell me at all. She just needed to vent a little one day, and I happened to be the one there."

Yeah, he was there. This random man, that May met from god knows where that was basically his stand in. He was there as soon as he wasn't. This man was technically his replacement. 

"You alright?" Adam asked, fake concern lacing his voice. 

He could only manage a slight nod. 

"Hm. Really? You don't look it." 

He swallowed, taking in a quick breath. "I'm fine."

Adam had a look of scepticism, but it seemed he shrugged it off. 

The room was only in blissful silence for a few moments before he opened his mouth again. 

"So it must be great interning for Ironman huh? I bet he's taught you a lot of neat stuff. Is he like your mentor? Are you his ward?" Adam paused, seemingly thinking to himself. "Like the father figure you never had?" 

It was meant to be a joke. 

It was fine. Everything was fine. 

It wasn't fine. 

The next thing he knew he'd thrown the smoothie in Adam's face, and he was running out into the hallway, the crash of the iv stand hitting the ground and ripping out the needle in his arm barely phasing him. 

He didn't hear the shout of Adam behind him, or the several doctors he passed or even FRIDAY. The next thing he knew he was standing in the doorway of Tony's room, eyes jerking around to the two visitors in the room, Happy and Morgan, while he trembled and caught his breath. 

"Peter?" Tony called from the bed, and a dry sob released from his chest as he walked over to the right side of the bed and curled up on Tony's undamaged side. Unable to cry anymore today he just shoved his face in Tony's chest. 

"Pete, you're supposed to be-" 

"YOU'RE THE BOY FROM THE PICTURE!" 

… What? 

\---

Morgan always noticed when someone was having a bad day. 

Like when Daddy came up from the garage with his face red and hands shaking, maybe a project that didn't go quite the way he thought it would. 

Or when Mom would have phone calls all day on a day that was supposed to be a fun day, and scrunch up her face and accidentally snap at Daddy during dinner, before apologizing and excusing herself. 

Or that kid that sits behind her in pre-k, that snapped his pencil and started crying.

She always tried to make it her mission to make anyone having a bad day have a slightly better one. 

So when she woke up from her nap to find Happy telling her they needed to cheer her Dad up, she was all on board. Even if she wasn't allowed to crawl on him while Mom wasn't in the room. 

Turns out, her dad wasn't the only one having a bad day. 

"Peter?" 

She looked away from the TV, playing Moana, to see a boy. Hair ruffled and face red as he stood in the doorway a moment. 

She waved but he didn't seem to see her, letting out a noise that kind of reminded her of a seal, before crawling up on the bed next to Daddy. (She wasn't going to say anything to mom if he didn't.) 

Happy was trying to pick her up, but you know. Now that she's thinking about it, Peter does sound familiar… And he looks familiar too…

"YOU'RE THE BOY FROM THE PICTURE!" She found herself shouting. 

"Morgan!" Happy quietly scolded, standing and trying to pick her up, but she was already crawling up next to Peter on the bed. 

"Morgan, sweetie. Maybe you and Happy should-" 

"I-I'm the what?" Peter was looking at her! And crying? his face was red, but his eyes were dry. 

"The boy in the picture!" She plopped herself right on top of the boy's lap. "We have a picture of you at home! Daddy likes to work with it in the garage."

"He does?" Peter sniffed, glancing at dad. 

"Yeah! And you have your own room ! It's across the hall from mine! I hope you don't mind that I ate cookies on your bed. It was for the greater good." She nodded to herself.

"Sounds like a good reason." He confirmed, he was smiling a tiny bit now. 

"Yeah! It is a very good reason. Momma said it wasn't! But at least you agree with me!" She hugged him, best she could at this angle, and he hugged her back. 

"Okay Morgs, maybe you should go with Happy now. You can see Peter later okay?" She laughed at Daddy's foolishness. 

"nope. He's my brother now. As a little sister I'm legally ob… ob…"

"obligated?"

"obligated to stay here!" 

"Yeah Mr. Stark. She's legally obligated to stay here." Peter replied hoarsely, whatever that meant, he definitely wasn't a horse. 

"I'm being ganged up on! Happy help me out here!" 

Bad day successfully fixed! 

"PETER BENJAMIN PARKER!" 

Or not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I uh.
> 
> I wrote this chapter in like 2 hours at 2 am last night.
> 
> I don't know how I did it??? I read over it this morning and it seems sloppy and... like I wrote it at 2 am. But I don't wanna scrap it, so I'mma just go ahead and post it regardless of my opinion about it. 
> 
> It's also 400ish words more than my usual 800 goal so, that's a win? idk. I'm not that proud of this, I'm just extremely surprised that I managed to write 1241 words in 2 hours.


	5. Chapter 5

"PETER BENJAMIN PARKER!" 

 

Tony winced at the shout, glancing up to see May storm into the doorway. Peter pressed more into his side, staring terrified at May. Also seeming to hold onto Morgan tighter, who looked at him with an innocent and questioning glance. 

 

He glanced up at Happy, who got the point and quickly jumped in to remove Morgan from the situation, even if she was squirming and protesting all the while. 

 

"I understand that you are going through a very hard time right now." May said firmly as soon as Happy had left the room. "But that does not give you any right to throw your food at someone." 

 

Tony felt awkward in this situation, he didn't know how to react. He didn't know both sides. He just knew his kid came into his room half-way towards a panic attack, and something had caused it. 

 

"May, i-" 

 

"I know you don't like Adam, but he is a very nice man, and if you'd just treat him with an ounce of the respect he gives you that would be amazing." 

 

"An ounce of the respect he gives me? He doesn't give me any respect at all May!" It took everything to not jump up and defend his kid, he hoped Pepper showed up soon. She'd know how to handle this. 

 

"He does so."

 

"Yeah, when you're in the room. As soon as you're out of sight he turns into a different person. Everything he says is something to poke fun. He's just-" Peter froze. 

 

"He's just what? Peter. What were you going to say?" 

 

"nothing, never mind. I'm sorry." He forced out quickly, he was starting to tremble again. 

 

"No, I wanna hear it. Adam's just what? Come on, the floors as yours. I want to hear what you think Adam is." 

 

"May, I think that's enough." He finally intervened, Peter had enough emotionally exhausting moments for the day. He gently rubbed his hand up and down Peter's back trying to calm the trembling. "Yelling isn't going to get us anywhere, well it is, but not in the direction we want."

 

May let out a loud sigh. "You're right."

 

"Everything alright?" Pepper finally stepped into the room, and he was never more grateful to see her. Behind her was a man who he assumed was Adam, rubbing a large pink stain on his shirt with a towel. 

 

May turned to Pepper, quietly discussing the recent events with her. 

 

Peter didn't stop trembling, leaning more onto him if it was possible. 

 

"Kid." He spoke quietly but Peter still flinched, staring up at him with a kind of terror he never wants to see again. "It's alright. You gotta calm down."

 

"I just told a joke, and he threw his food at me, before running all the way here." Tony tuned back into the conversation for a moment. "I think he's just milking this whole ordeal for as long as he can."

 

"Excuse me?!" Okay, he was definitely getting involved now. No one talked about his kid like that.

 

"No offense, but he should be reintegrated by now. A lot of other people are. I don't see why he would be any different." 

 

"No offense? It's been two weeks. He's not just going to magically become readjusted to the fact that five years has passed." 

 

"I'm just saying he's a teenager, it's not like he missed much. He'll be going to school in August, I bet he'll forget all-" 

 

"I'd hate to interrupt." Everyone's eyes went to the door where Dr. Reid stood, an angry glare settled on her face. "But I have a patient with malnutrition that could be severe if left untreated. So you'll have to excuse me while I force you all to leave the room. Except Mr. Stark of course."

 

"Why do we have to leave the room?" May asked defensively, staying still in her place even though Pepper and Adam were leaving. 

 

"I think it'd be best if it was just Mr. Stark and Peter right now. He acted out previously when certain people were in the room," She specifically glared at Adam. "and I'd not like to waste another smoothie today, because they are incredibly hard and expensive to make."

 

May looked over at Peter, a storm of emotions brewing in her eyes when he didn't look at her. "Peter?" Tony felt a bit of sympathy for her, as her shoulders sank at the lack of response and she walked out the door. 

 

Dr. Reid shut the door and turned to him. "Just this one time, I'm not going to say anything." She spoke. "That was your warning, next time you won't be so lucky."

 

Peter relaxed, nodding at her, still silent. Making him wonder where his ever-talkative kid had gone.

 

"Alright, hold out your arm, you still gotta be on the drip for a bit. These smoothies really aren't meant for hydration." 

 

\---

 

"Pepper, I don't understand why is he like this? He wasn't like this before." May sighed, not for the first time today. Adam had left a bit after they were basically kicked out of the room. 

 

_ "Go ahead and leave. I'll just call a taxi." _

_ "You sure? … Okay, I'll see you at home." _

 

"He's just. Quiet? Not quiet? We're either arguing or he refuses to even open his mouth." She felt a bit bad complaining about Peter, she just got him back, but she has a suspicion that she'll never have her nephew again. "He's just not the same boy I raised with Ben."

 

"... May, how would you feel about Peter staying with us for a while?" 

 

May paused, baffled at the sudden question. "What?" 

 

"Just for the summer, maybe a little after? If you're concerned about him and college he can always do it online. We have the top grade of Wi-Fi Tony won't take anything less." 

 

"... What?" She couldn’t believe what she was hearing, well she could, but not right now. Not in this situation.

 

"Can Peter stay with us for the summer? We're planning on going back to the cabin about a week after Tony's surgery, maybe we could take him with us.” Pepper paused. “I promise he’ll be alright. Happy said that he got along with Morgan well, so that wouldn’t be an issue.”

 

“I…” She wasn’t sure what to say. She just got Peter back, and sending him away right after felt… Cruel. But at the same time Peter wasn’t getting any better with her. Still carrying that haunted look in his eyes that he had when he got back that first day. He would be better with them.

 

Pepper said nothing as May debated with herself, that ever calm look on her face. How did she keep a level-head in situations like this.

 

“It’s not my choice to make.” She said eventually, making up her mind. “It’s Peter’s. Whatever he chooses I’ll support fully.”

 

Pepper nodded, seeming to agree with her. “We’ll ask him when Dr. Reid is done.”

 

“Yeah. Okay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I literally had no part of this chapter planned out, I made it all up as I went, but heyyy we're getting to the plot point that I thought about when writing the first chapter so that's good! I don't know what I'm going to do after that though.
> 
> so please. For the love of all that is great. give me some suggestions!!!!!! 
> 
> (Also the last four chapters have all been in the same day but we're not going to talk about that.)
> 
> I'm going to see Far From Home tomorrow on my birthday and I'm so excited.
> 
> As true to the tags this fic will not be compliant for that movie, and I'll try to keep any spoilers out of this. If I do so happen to put some spoilers, a warning will be in the beginning notes.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a minor Far from home spoiler before the first break.
> 
> Also talk of triggers (take it with a grain of salt, I wrote it with the knowledge I had and didn't do any research), as well as reference to someone being a dick and triggering someone on purpose.
> 
> More notes at the end :)

Okay these smoothies sucked. The taste was fine, kind of chalky, but it wasn’t horrible. It was just something he’d rather not ever have to drink again, mostly because it made him feel horrible. 

He’d felt fine until about half-way through the smoothie, after that he felt nauseous and like he was about to throw up. Not to mention he was completely exhausted and just wanted to go to sleep after everything that had happened today.

He could hear Pepper and May dully through the walls, but decided not to focus on it. He didn’t want to hear something that he wasn’t supposed to.

“Pete, you gotta finish it. Doctor’s orders.” Tony must have been watching him. At this point he was just staring down at the pink liquid in the cup, hoping that the rest of it would just disappear.

“I don’t think I can, Mr. Stark.” He quietly whispered, but Dr. Reid looked up from her tablet and walked over anyways.

She looked down at the half-empty glass. “Nauseous?” She asked, and when he nodded she grabbed the glass. “That’s understandable. It’d be a mess to clean up if you vomited everywhere.”

“You said I had to drink the whole thing though…” If Peter could slap himself right now he would, she would probably make him drink it all now.

"If you end up puking there would be no point in making you drink it in the first place." She picked up her tablet, putting it under her arm as she walked to the door. “I’m going to let them back in. Unless you need a moment?”

“A moment would be great.” Mr. Stark said before Peter could even register the question. Dr. Reid gave a curt nod, before walking out and closing the door behind her. 

The room wasn’t quiet for long, even if it felt like an eternity. He could feel the lecture coming, either why he should be eating, or why throwing food at someone was incredibly wasteful. No matter what it was he was dreading it, he would rather have any other conversation than the lecture that was coming his way.

“What happened today bud?” Of all the times he could be wrong, maybe a lecture wouldn’t be so bad.

“I don’t know.” He said quietly.

“Is it Adam? Did he do something?” 

“He didn’t do anything. He’s just…” Peter paused. “He says things that I can’t hear.”

Tony gave him an odd look. “Like you literally can’t hear them or…?”

“No! I can hear them, but I just can’t. Process them. They just don’t... don’t compute.” He awkwardly waved his hands around, making motions that made absolutely no sense.

“Do they remind you of the snap?” Tony asked after a moment.

“Yeah, sure, maybe. They remind me of… thaatt or the blip, whatever.” He couldn’t even bring himself to say it, even if the blip sounded stupid.

Tony let out a small laugh. “The blip?” 

“They’re calling it the blip, what a fucking stupid name that is.”

He gasped, a fake look of offense on his face. “Hey! Watch your language."

"Sorry."

"It's fine kid. Don't worry about it." Tony patted him on the back. "So the stuff Adam says reminds you of 'the blip'" 

"Yeah… I just don't know how to deal with it. I know he won't stop, but I wish he would because no matter what I do I always freak out." He huffed, frustrated st the man even if he wasn't here. 

"He's going to stop, I'm going to talk to May about it."

"What?! You can't- she'll just say I'll get over it or something."

"Kid. If it's upsetting you in anyway, especially one relating to this, then he should've stopped as soon as he started." Tony's voice was serious. "We're going to have a longer talk about this with your Aunt, but for now just know that your reaction is warranted."

"it's still shitty knowing that."

"Language, again! Second time, May will have my head if she finds out you said that.”

“It’s not like she cares, in her eyes I’m supposed to be 20 something and in college.”

Tony paused, looking at him. “Pete, she does care. She’s getting used to this just as you are, she might be a little different than how she was before but that doesn’t mean she cares about you any less.”

“Then why is she sending me off to college? Why does she have a boyfriend who seems to be trying to keep me out of her life?” Peter was honestly so tired of crying, he couldn’t muster up any energy to do it again. He probably looked crazy in Tony’s eyes. 

“I don’t know Pete, but sometimes you have to do what makes you happy instead of doing what will make other people happy.” Tony hugged him awkwardly with his unharmed arm. “And if they don’t forgive you for it then they weren’t worth your time anyways.”

“... Mr. Stark?”

“It’s Tony, kid.”

“I don’t wanna go to college, or be Spider-Man. I just want to be Peter Parker. Maybe go on vacation or something.” He didn’t mumble, probably one of the only things he said today that he meant.

“Okay.” Tony was smiling down at him, still awkwardly hugging him. “Where do you wanna go? Disney world? A beach? Are you more of a mountain person? Do you want touristy stuff or a more laid back do nothing all day kind of place.”

“I was thinking more of a cabin.” He whispered, closing his eyes and leaning more into the hug.

“A cabin? I took you more for a treehouse kind of person.” 

“A treehouse would be cool, but a cabin sounds good right now.”

“Hm. Alright. I’ll work something out.”

\---

When FRIDAY told them they could come back in they were greeted with the sight of Peter half laying on Tony in a hug, something Pepper had already seen a few times this week. Peter looked over at them as they stepped in through the door, not saying anything. 

“May! There’s something I want to ask you.” Tony spoke, breaking the awkward silence.

“Okay, I want to ask Peter something first though.” May replied.

Pepper gave Tony a look. The look™, that she’d given him many times over the years of working at Stark Industries. That meant keep his mouth shut in order to keep the peace, or she would be having some choice words with him later.

Tony’s hand tightened around Peter, and he returned the look with hesitance. “Alright. Shoot.”

May sat on the bed, looking at Peter.

“Peter, honey.” May paused, letting out a breath. “How would you feel about staying with Pepper and Tony for the summer?”

Pepper internally cringed at the silence that now drenched the room, Tony was giving her a look that had way too many emotions for her to catch onto, and Peter was just sitting there, shock written all over his face.

“...What?”

“I’m not trying to force you to leave, but I know you seem more adease when you’re with them and I think you’d… recover better if you were with them. It’s your choice.” 

Peter was silent, something Pepper was growing to hate. Tony always talked about Peter as talkative and hyperactive, and the many times she’d met him before the snap he was exactly that.

“Okay.” Peter whispered eventually, looking up at May with a face covered in emotion, before he leaned forward and latched onto her in a hug. 

The hug was returned, and Pepper felt like she was intruding on something. By the way Tony's eyes averted in her direction she could tell he felt the same too. 

"I'm sorry." Was the next thing Peter said, still holding onto May with a death grip. "for everything."

"It's alright. It'll be okay. I forgive you."

After some moments of silence FRIDAY spoke. 

"Morgan is wanting to know when she can come back down. Happy is having trouble keeping her at bay." Peter pulled away from May, a little smile showing up on his face. 

Pepper nodded at Tony, and after receiving another from May he replied. "Send them down FRI. I think we're wrapping it up here." 

"They are making their way down now."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've actually had majority of this chapter finished for about two weeks. But I had no clue how to wrap it up neatly without a cliffhanger so it kind of seems rushed at the end. Sorry.
> 
> Also I said I'd get this out last week and I didn't. So uh. Sorry for that too!
> 
> My original intention was to make y'all trust Adam but that went right down the drain huh. He's rly a dick. 
> 
> Anyways, I saw Far From Home. It was loud like all movies I see in the theater and a certain scene involving a train made me incredibly anxious. The migraine that I had afterward wasn't worth it. 
> 
> My summer break is almost over so next time there's a new chapter I'll be back in school. That means updates won't be as frequent D; but I'm still shooting for once a month.


End file.
